Cab-seat



W. PAINTER.

Car Seat and Couch.

No. 21,356. Patented Aug. 31, I858.

ILPETERS, FNOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. Dv C.

UN TE s urns NT @FFICE WILLIAM PAINTER, OF \VILMINGTON, DELA\\"'ARE.

CAR-SEAT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM Pam'rnm of \Vilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Car Seats for Enabling Them to be Converted into Reclining or Sleeping Couches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification.

Figure 1, is aside elevation of one of the improved car seats, in the position to be occupied in a sitting posture, and with the back represented by red lines, in the position to form a reclining or sleeping couch. Fig. 2, is a top or birds eye view of ditto with the back thrown over to form the re clining or sleeping couch.

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in jointing the backs of car seats to the centers of the ends of the bottoms of the same, by bars connected a sufficient distance from the centers of the end of the backs, to either enable one of their edges to be brought next either of the edges of the bottoms, which bottom can be either secured in a horizontal or inclined position either way, and at the proper angle of inclination therewith, to form the usual description of seats, or the said edge of the back to be turned upward on the pivots of the bars, and thrown back sufiiciently far, and held at the proper angle in relation to the bottom of the seat, to afford a comfort able rest for the head and upper part of the body, and thus adapt the seat to the purpose of a reclining or sleeping couch.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The bottom A, of the seat, is suspended on pivots at its center, between the usual upright frames B, at the ends, for supporting the parts of the seat and forming the usual arm rests for the passengers. A spring bar or catch 0, is secured to the center of one or both of the ends of the bottom A, which spring bar or catch C, extends upward at right angles therefrom, and passes between the arm rest portion of the frame B, and a slotted plate D, and is provided at its upper end with a horizontal stud or pin,

which passes through a segmental slot- D formed in said plate D. This spring bar or catch C, causes the bottom A, to be held in a horizontal position, by entering a mortise, depression, or slot, formed on the face of the segmental plate, midway between its ends, and when itis desired to tilt the bottom on its center, to incline in either direction from the same, the said spring bar or catch C, is withdrawn, and the said bottom A, is held to either of the angles of inclination mentioned, by the pin or stud at the end of the bar or catch C, resting against the respective end of the segmental slot D".

To the bottom A, of the seat, immediately above the center on which it is suspended, are attached by pins, the ends of swinging bars E, jointed at their opposite ends to the ends of the back F, of the seat, at a suflicient distance from the centers of the same, to admit it to be employed for either of the purposes, sitting or reclining, for which the seats are designed, as will be hereafter described, or in other words to be secured at points at the ends, midway between the center and edge of the back F. Between the pins or bolts, which joint the ends of the bars E, to the back and the edge or corners of the same, are arranged two pins or studs G, projecting the required distance from the ends of the backs to allow them, when the seats are turned upward to the position to recline upon, as represented by red lines in Fig. 1, to rest upon the edges of the bars E. At the opposite corners of the ends of the backs are formed slots or depressions H, eX- tending from the said corners, parallel with the sides of the frame of the back, about, or nearly the same distance that the pins of the bars E, are situated from the opposite corners, into which slots H, are inserted pins or studs I, projecting from the arm rest portions of the frames B, at the ends of the seats, when the edge of the back 1s placed 1n the proper relation to the seat bottom A, to accommodate the passengers in a nearly upright or sitting position. This position of the back F, is represented 1n Fig. 1, and when it is desired to reverse it, to enable its occupants to sit in an opposite direction, the back is raised until its slots H, are clear of the pins or studs I, and then swing over to the opposite side of the seat bottom A, and after bringing the slots H, 1n 1ts ends over the opposite pins or studs 1, is lowered until the latter pass through the slots H,

and their upper ends rest upon the same, to form a support in the same manner that the other pins or studs previously did.

The back may be held in its position to accommodate the passengers in a nearly upright or sitting position, by attaching the pins or studs to the ends of the back, and inserting them into slots made in the arm rest position of the frame of the seat, or by one pin or stud attached, to one end of the back, inserted in a slot formed on the side of the car; or any other similar device for holding it in a suitable position.

When it is desired to extend the back F, and convert the seat into a double reclining or sleeping couch, it is turned around on the pivots which secure it to the bars E, until the pins or studs G, projecting from its ends, rest against the lower edges of the bars E, and these lower edges are caused to rest against the pins or studs I, projecting from the arm rest portions B, of the car seat. In this manner the distance from the front edge of the seat bottom A, to the upper and back edge of the back F, of the seat is increased in a sufficient degree, to form a comfortable reclining lounge or couch, the bottom A, being either fastened in a horizontal, or inclined position either Way, by the spring bars or catches G, and the back being in such an angle of inclination in relation to the same, as to well adapt them to sleeping purposes. 7

The backs F, of the seats are cushioned on both sides and depressions K, may be formed in the cushions to retain the heads of the passengers in a comfortable position if desired; or the portions of the cushions where the heads of the passengers rest may be v pins or studs I on the faces of the arm rests,

or on the ends of the backs, in such relation to the bars E, and slots H, as to enable them to be suspended in the proper relation to the bottoms A, of the seats to form the usual seats, or to be swung and extended to form' reclining or sleeping couches, substantially in the manner before described.

2. I also claim the combination of the spring bars or catches C, having studs at their ends and segmental slots D, with the swinging seat bottoms substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM PAINTER.

Witnesses:

A. STAATS, JOHN PAINTER. 

